Gentle Into Night
by Boyue
Summary: It starts with a bite. Then the infected suffer from chills, headaches, fever, and nausea. Soon they die. And when they wake, they become one of them. -GaaLee/Oneshot/Zombie-


Naruto and its characters © Masashi Kishimoto

Rated T for violence, gore, and character death.

Boyue's Note: A gift for quietnature12 – she asked for LeeGaa/GaaLee and mystery, suspense, or horror! Hope you like, my friend! =D

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**GENTLE INTO NIGHT**

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**"What happened to your hand?"

Lee pushed away from the dining table and stood up. He walked over to Gaara, who was closing the front door with a weak motion. He took Gaara's bleeding hand and gasped at the large gash between the thumb and the index finger. A chunk of flesh was torn out, leaving behind a bloody crater to fill the void. Lee stared up at his boyfriend with a concerned look, waiting for an explanation for the wound.

Gaara retracted his hand and shook his head slightly. "A homeless man attacked me near the bus stop. He bit me," he said as he untied the laces of his leather shoes. He stared at his hand and added, "He was very disturbed. He was snarling… and hissing at me."

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Lee asked, helping Gaara out of his jacket. "I am worried you will get an infection."

"No, I'll be fine." Gaara tugged on his maroon tie. "Get me a towel and some Tylenol. I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted."

Lee nodded and hurried into the bathroom to moisten a towel. He could hear Gaara's heavy and sluggish footsteps going into the bedroom. He walked out of the bathroom and ran to the kitchen to grab the acetaminophen before he headed into the room. Gaara was undressing on the edge of the bed. He kept his head low as he worked on the buttons. The blood on his hand stained his white collar shirt. Lee kneeled in front of the redhead and wrapped the warm towel around the wound. He glanced up and met Gaara's dull glance that told how tired he was. He removed the towel and examined the bite. Fresh blood poured out like water through a broken dam. Lee didn't know much about first aid but he could tell that the wound was exceptionally deep. The attacker must have been very vicious. Gaara took the pills and swallowed them dry.

"Tough day at work?" Lee asked softly as he put the towel back on the hand. The fatigue on his boyfriend's face already answered his question.

"No," Gaara responded surprisingly, "I am… just really tired right now. My head hurts..."

"Maybe you have a cold?" Lee stared up with concern.

"Probably," Gaara answered with a shrug. He lifted himself off the bed and attempted to unbuckle his jeans with one hand.

"Are you sure you do not need to go to the hospital?" Lee let go of the towel and helped Gaara out of his pants nonetheless.

"You worry too much, Lee."

"Gaara…" Lee watched Gaara pull away the comforter and slip into bed. The blood dotted the bed sheet and pillow case. He got up and gently tucked the redhead in. He said, "I am going to get something to bandage your hand."

"Ye... ah…" Gaara mumbled slowly, rolling over to face the wall.

Lee waited by the bed for a moment. Gaara's visible shoulder raised and fell steadily; Lee took it as an indication that he was deeply asleep. He walked out of the room, leaving the light on since it didn't seem to bother Gaara tonight. He looked through the cabinets and found a store-bought first aid kit. He checked the list of materials inside the kit as he made his way back. He carefully pulled down the comforter so he could have access to the hand. A small puddle of blood tainted the sheet and threatened to soil the cheap mattress it was trying to protect. Lee took Gaara's hand; the coldness worried him.

He opened the kit and took out the alcohol wipe and the roll of elastic bandage. He dabbed the wipe on the wound, surprised that Gaara didn't react to the burning sensation that must accompanied the alcohol. He glanced up and watched Gaara snoozing away despite his injury. He sighed guilty as he returned to tend to the hand. If only he could find a job, then Gaara wouldn't have to work so hard to provide for both of them. But with the current economy, Lee hadn't found such luck. It was why he was very thankful to have Gaara by his side. He wouldn't know what to do without his lover by his side.

He tossed away the wipe when the alcohol dried up. He stared at the wound that showed no sign of clotting. A wave of uneasiness washed over him. He knew Gaara didn't heal quickly but the blood should've at least stopped by now. He stretched out the bandage and meticulously wrapped the hand without waking Gaara. He secured the bandage with a piece of tape and was proud of the work he had done. He checked to see that Gaara was still fast asleep. He parted the red bangs and planted a kiss on the forehead.

"Sleep well, my love," he whispered before he stood up and left the room, turning the light off as he did.

It was too early for bed for him. He walked into the kitchen and put Gaara's dinner in the fridge. He grabbed the book he was reading and took it with him to the living room. He situated himself comfortably in front of the television and turned it on, keeping the volume low. He surfed through the channels to find something to catch his interest. Reality TV shows were popular at the hour. He stopped changing the channel when he landed on the end of a news report.

"Today, Police have found the mutilated body of a missing man in the Konoha Mountains," the newscaster said. "It is suspected that the man was attacked by wild animals during his hiking trip. His family has been contacted to identify the body."

Lee moved to the next channel and settled down on watching a show about hamburgers. He grabbed the cushion and hugged it to his chest. Though his eyes were on the screen, his mind wandered back to Gaara; he wondered if he was going to be fine.

After he finished watching the hamburger show, Lee turned off the TV and got readied for bed. He climbed into bed and checked Gaara's hand. The bandage was a bit moist but it looked like the blood had stopped. He kissed Gaara's shoulder before he rolled over. He sighed and closed his eyes, hoping sleep would come soon.

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Lee woke in the middle of the night to the sound of groaning. At first, he thought it was the air conditioner as it tended to make weird noises during the night. But the bouncing of the mattress told him that Gaara needed help. He rolled over quickly to see Gaara tossing his head. Low moans of pain came from the depth of his throat. Lee leaned on his elbow and gave Gaara a gentle nudge on the shoulder.

"Gaara, wake up," Lee whispered, hoping that it was only a nightmare. "Wake up."

Gaara made a deep moan as he slowly turned his head to face Lee. His eyes fluttered half-way open. In the dark, Lee couldn't see very clearly but he could sense the distress from his lover's body. He placed a hand on Gaara's cheek and gasped.

"You are boiling up." He double-checked the redhead's temperature. "You did catch a cold…"

He kicked off the comforter and stared down at Gaara. But the moisture on the bed caught his attention first. He dashed to the light switch and flicked it on. The brightness blinded him momentarily as he staggered back to the bed. Gaara tossed his head away at the light. Lee shuddered a hollow breathe at the puddle of blood soaking the sheet. The fabric was still wet. He traced the blood back to Gaara's hand. The bandage was completely bloodied; it looked like Gaara was wearing a blood-red mitten. A few hours ago, Lee could've sworn the blood had ceased. He rushed to Gaara's side and pulled the comforter away.

"You have a high fever," he whispered, "I am going to take you to the hospital now. Everything will be alright, Gaara."

"Ug… hhh…" was Gaara's response.

Lee pulled on his pants and threw on a large sweatshirt. No one was going to care for his appearance at the emergency room. He grabbed a clean t-shirt and loose pants for Gaara; half-naked with only boxers was not Gaara's style. Lee helped Gaara up. Or rather, he had to tug Gaara into a sitting position so he could barely pull the shirt over the redhead. Gaara groaned lowly; every now and then, he mumbled something intelligible and he fought to keep his eyes open. With the light on, Lee could see the haze in Gaara's eyes.

"You are going to be alright," Lee said as he struggled to put the pants on Gaara. He eased his boyfriend down on the bed and stood up straight. "I am going to get the car. I will be back soon."

Gaara moaned like he was about to vomit. Lee hurried out of the apartment and walked downstairs. The disadvantage of living in an apartment was the parking. The lot was in the back of the complex and Lee had no idea where Gaara had parked the car. He ran through the lot, frantically pressing down on the unlock button. He kept an eye out for the flashes of the headlights. With the lot filled, Gaara had to park the car at the very back. Lee jumped into the car and ignited the engine. He didn't drive a lot since they only had one car but he knew how to drive well enough to get them to the hospital. He stepped on the pedal and drove the car to the front driveway of the apartments. It was closer to their apartment than the parking lot. He turned off the car and rushed back upstairs.

He left the front door open in his hurry to get to Gaara. It might have been easier to call an ambulance but emergency service could be so unreliable at times. Lee sprinted into the bedroom. The stillness in the air made his heart jump. He walked around the bed and towered over Gaara, who was slumped on his side. He touched Gaara's shoulder and gasped; his hand retracted out of shock. Gaara had gone from boiling hot to icy cold in a matter of minutes.

"Gaara?" Lee called softly. He shook his lover by the shoulder with three fingers. Gaara did not respond.

His eyes wandered to Gaara's chest. He watched and waited impatiently. He thought maybe the t-shirt was too big on Gaara so that was why he couldn't see Gaara's chest breathing. He kneeled down by the bed. A cautious hand landed over the still chest. He swallowed hard and took a raspy breath when the muscles didn't move. He forced his hand upward. He located the pulse on the artery and pressed two fingers. He waited; his own breathing slowed down. He moved his fingers from the jaw line to the collarbone, feeling out for a pulse, thinking that he was checking the wrong place. He leaned his weight on his knees and cupped Gaara's cold face. He drew himself closer. His thumbs nervously caressed the cheekbones.

"Gaara…? Are you… No, you cannot… be…" Lee whispered with a quivering breath. "Gaara!"

His red-haired lover remained completely still. Lee let out a high whine of disbelief. Immediately, he blamed himself. He should've convinced Gaara to go to the hospital. He should've checked the bandage to see if the blood had stopped. It was his fault – he let Gaara bleed to death. He cried out a shrill and slumped over the cold body on the bed.

"No, no," he wailed. "Gaara, s-stop joking! T-this is not funny… Gaara? Open your eyes… Please… Open your eyes… This is not…"

He held Gaara tight in his arms, sobbing at the top of his lungs and shouting words at the ceiling. He shook Gaara helplessly, hoping it would shake the life back to his boyfriend. He buried his face between Gaara's neck and shoulder. He wanted Gaara's warm body back. He wanted Gaara to hold him. His voice gave out soon, silencing his grief. He sniffled hard and swallowed down the lump in his throat. He brushed his lips against Gaara's unmoving ones.

"This… c-cannot be… H-how could you j-just …? It is… it is impossible…"

Lee stood up from the bed and staggered away. Clutching his chest, he wandered out of the bedroom and into the living room. He picked up the phone and dialed for an ambulance in automatic motion. His emergency: he had killed his boyfriend and needed help. He hung on the operator before she responded. Lee stumbled to the couch and sat himself down. He let out a dry sob, rubbing the heel of his palm into his eye. His mind couldn't comprehend how Gaara could leave him so suddenly. A fever and a little blood loss shouldn't kill anyone. He thought about the homeless man that attacked Gaara. Was it possible that… No, nothing made sense to Lee.

A chill hitting his moisten face sent his eyes to the front door. He had left it wide open and the late night air was filling the apartment. He staggered over and pushed it close weakly. A loud thud startled him. He stared at the door, wondering if it was from the outside wind. He moved away from the door but froze in his spot when he heard another thud. He stayed still and listened. Something somewhere moaned. Lee scanned around the apartment. It wasn't the television and it didn't sound like it came from outside. He didn't really care about the source of the moan until another one emerged. This time, Lee was certain it was coming from inside the apartment. His legs guided him toward the bedroom. He gripped the doorframe and poked his head in.

"G… Gaara?"

Gaara stood facing the wall. He leaned between the two sides uncertainly. Lee widened his tired eyes; his hand tightened on the wood frame. Gaara sounded another moan – more guttural and longer. Lee's breaths quickened when the redhead turned around. Gaara moved like he didn't know how to walk. His upper body slumped forward. As he looked about to fall, he desperately tried to counterbalance by leaning heavily backward. His legs seemed weak and didn't have the strength to support him. His knees jerked as he moved. His arms flailed by his side. His head rolled in twitchy circles, as if his neck wasn't strong enough to hold it up. His face was emotionless. Those teal eyes that Lee loved were drowned in hazy white.

"W-what… What are… I-I…" Lee stammered. He couldn't find the word to finish his sentence.

"Uhh…. gg… gh," Gaara moaned. He wobbled toward Lee, dragging his feet on the floor. He lifted an arm up – the one with the injured hand – and looked like he was trying to grab Lee.

Lee stepped back until he hit the wall. He watched his lover stumbled clumsily out of the bedroom. Gaara stood at the hallway, his mouth gaped and a moan drummed out. Lee pressed his back against the wall; his arms shaking by his side.

"Y-you are… You are n-not… What i-is happening…!?" Lee whimpered.

Lee yelped when Gaara unexpectedly lurched toward him. He leaped out of the way just as Gaara slammed into the wall. He kept his distance in the space between the hallway and the living room. He watched Gaara wiggling on the floor like a challenged worm. Slowly but surely, Gaara managed to get back up. He made a loud moan that sounded like he was angry. Lee took a big step back as Gaara reoriented himself. The redhead glared at him. He raised his arms up and held them stiffly in front of his body. He launched forward with a low snarl.

Lee jumped away and ran into the kitchen. He opened the knife drawer and took out the biggest knife he could find. He didn't know why he didn't just run out the door. Something told him he should stay and see it through to the end. He wanted to know what was happening to his boyfriend. He watched Gaara… or what used to be Gaara… hesitantly found his way into the living room. Gaara bumped his knee on the edge of the sofa and it altered his course. His head automatically turned toward Lee's direction, as if he could sense where Lee was.

"N-no… S-stay back!" Lee shouted.

Gaara snarled, bearing his teeth wide. His hazy eyes widened as he ran toward Lee. His previous blundering movement was replaced by swift and precise motions. Lee kicked into the counter behind him; both hands shakily held the knife in front of him. Gaara ran into the chairs and fell down ungracefully on the floor. Lee eyed his chance. He ran as fast as he could – and he was a fast runner – and made for the door. To do so, he had to jump over Gaara, who was still flat on the floor trying to get back up. Lee timed his jump and made it over Gaara. He reached for the door. A scream escaped his throat when he felt Gaara grabbing him. He turned his head around, kicking his leg frantically.

He shrieked, "L-let go! Let go! Let go!"

Gaara titled his head up, sounding a loud moan. He crawled forward on knees and elbows, moving like a fish out of water. Lee gasped as he realized that he couldn't fight off Gaara's tight grip on his ankle. He had to make a choice. He gazed down at his lover. A pang hit his chest when he mad eye-contact. Instead of staring into a pair of loving eyes, all he could see was orbs full of hunger. Whatever that _thing_ was in front of him, Lee knew it wasn't Gaara anymore. He took a breath to steady himself. Gaara opened his mouth wide and Lee knew he had to act quickly. He swung down the knife and stabbed it deep through Gaara's wrist.

He was sorely disappointed and terrified when Gaara didn't stop his advance. The knife wound didn't even stun him. The redhead pulled forward and bit hard on the flesh just above Lee's ankle. Lee instinctively kicked Gaara in the head but Gaara remained steadfast. Like a cartoon dog biting a man, Gaara did not let go no matter how hard Lee kicked. Lee knew he was in trouble when he felt a burning sensation running up his body. He cried out in pain and slipped down on the floor as Gaara pulled with his mouth. Gaara finally let go but not without taking a chunk of Lee's leg with his mouth.

"G-Gaara…" Lee whimpered breathlessly. Gaara chewed sloppily on the flesh; Lee could see bits of his body and his blood falling out of the corners of the mouth. He cried with fear and pain, "What happened to you!?"

Gaara let his mouth hang open; the uneaten flesh drooled out and sloshed on the floor. A low moan rang from the pit of his stomach. He crawled forward, pulling his upper body over Lee's legs. Lee kicked his legs high and threw Gaara off him. He tried to stand but his missing Achille's heel made it impossible to move without horrid pain. He gritted his teeth and tried his best to get away. But he needed to stand to reach the door. He rolled on to his stomach and dragged himself toward the door. Gaara was fast on his tail. Lee let out another scream as he felt Gaara's weight gaining on his legs. He reached for the knife and gripped it tight.

"I-I am sorry," Lee said. He rolled over just in time for Gaara to dig his teeth in his neck. It was a mistake and he paid dearly for it. He screamed loudly as Gaara ripped open his throat. But Lee wasn't going to give in yet. He swung his arm and stabbed the knife deep in Gaara's neck. The neck wound managed to knock the vicious redhead back. Lee mumbled hoarsely, "I am sorry, Gaara… I am sorry!"

Lee leaned upward and pushed Gaara off of him. Gaara snarled angrily; his eyes boiled up with anger. The knife wasn't effective enough but it brought Lee time to stand up on one foot. Gaara, too, found his way up again. He jumped toward Lee, extending his arms out, snarling like a feral beast. But he left himself wide open for Lee to stab the knife in the other side of his neck. The impact sent Gaara tumbling backward. Lee hopped and pushed Gaara over the couch. A loud crack echoed as Gaara's neck broke against the coffee table. Lee took a few breathes to refill his lungs. He pressed his hand on the hole on his neck; it wasn't too deep and if he got medical attention, he would make it. He paced toward the couch, dragging his injured foot. He peeked and saw Gaara lying still between on the couch and the floor; his neck was bent at an awkward angle. Gaara's eyes stayed wide open, staring at the corner of the couch. His bloodied mouth held tiny bits of flesh.

Lee couldn't help himself but sobbed again. He just killed his boyfriend twice. He whimpered softly. There was a strong desire to touch Gaara but the fear of being attacked again stopped him. He didn't even want to think what had happened to Gaara. He dropped the knife down and stumbled to the door. He pulled it open and unsteadily hopped down the stairs, using the railing as support. A police car and an ambulance pulled into the driveway a few seconds after Lee reached ground floor. Once the authority saw the state he was in, they rushed over to him and bombarded him with questions.

"M-My b-boyfriend," Lee stammered to the officer. He swallowed and found it harder to speak. He blinked and shook his head. His voice came out softly, "My b-boyfriend is i-in the… a-apartment. He is… He is…"

The office gave him a nod and signaled an EMT to help him into the ambulance. Lee watched the two officers walked up the stairs with their hands on the holster. Lee climbed into the back of the ambulance and lied down on the stretcher. He felt cold and very fatigued. He rubbed a bloody hand on his stinging eye. His lungs seemed to forget how to function properly; he wheezed, unable to control his breathing. His sight was hazy and he was seeing a lot of white. His heart beat irregularly; at certain moment, Lee swore his heart stopped beating. The technician injected him with a hypodermic needle. Lee hissed sharply. Every inch of his body was burning.

"His temperature is raising," one of the technicians muttered.

"His blood isn't clotting," the other one said. "We are dealing with a possible hemophilic. We gotta get him out of here."

Lee pressed his head against the padded pillow. He heard what the paramedics said. It worried him. He was showing the same symptoms that Gaara showed before he became a different… person – creature. He tossed his head and whimpered. His head felt like it weight a million ton. His neck and his leg felt numb, like someone had put a pack of ice on them even though that wasn't the case. His stomach turned as the ambulance sped away. The roar of the siren blasted through his ears and made his head hurt more. He felt like he wanted to throw up. He struggled to keep his eyes open but his muscles weren't listening to his command.

"You're going to be okay," the EMT said; his voice sounded very far away.

"Heart rate dropping."

"Don't worry. We're going to help you."

That was the last thing Lee heard before he lost consciousness.

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**THE END.**

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_Boyue's Note: Oh my god! I killed Gaara! I am a bastard! Hey, at least it's not Lee this time, right? D'=_

_I hope you like this story, quietnature12, and that it had everything you wanted! =DD_

_2.20.09_

_1:56 AM_


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